FRIDAY, THE MAGIC DAY

I have a friend who owns this day. Simon owns Fridays. He sees it, feels it, smells it come with love, if the twelfth month of a year was the sixth day of the week, then Simon’s Christmas celebrations would be there every week. He tells me the day is purely for thorough happiness...I hope so.

People are so early as usual for work! No hangover?...I think yesterday wasn’t any big day in Uganda. Not significant at all because if it were like Independence Day, Christmas, the 1st of Januaries etc people would have hangovers and a day like this would be lazy. Why? Because Ugandans love to drink, to party, to dance etc. Again, I hope the 26th day of Januaries since 1986 is a considerable one to Ugandans.

5:30PM and the tour starts; as usual with my 2x2 Chinese wheel ride. When you are in Moroto, two places are popular for being well populated and cosmopolitan if you need.
These are; Campswahili and Kakoliye; My destination for today is Kakolye although I dissect Campshwahili to get there, my interest is on Kakolye.

There is a small market-like place in Kakolye called Nabatua. If you are keen like I am, you will discover very unique things here. From the Turkana men and women eating 100% raw meat to the bad boys haggling for weed. From drunken mothers galloping more local brew, to hungry children gathering little drops of food that their eyes can see.

The most interesting thing about Nabatua is again its location...near the seasonal river bank; the place is too dirty, so dirty that the stench of the human droppings overshadows that of the meat being smoked. But wait! This is Karamoja, other places are still waiting for us...we need to take one journey to development, Amen.

My time at home is here, and I change to high speed gear. After 10 mins, am home again. Water should be first, supper and coffee then to this wooden table where I start to chew the cards as my INSPIRON takes charge of digestion.

Trust me, tonight I will take early rest and rest longer because tomorrow belongs to me alone. It’s a one man’s weekend and office can wait till Monday. So I’ll just watch, read and listen to local, national and global news. I will not give it to INSPIRON mini. I’ll make a comprehensive amalgamation on Sabbath day.

THE NRM DAY IN KARAMOJA - MOROTO

The crowd wasn't seen, yet the noise was there. Money was overworked; buying fuel, hiring vehicles, public address systems, drinks for the bellied men and women who represent country power in this part of Uganda.

I sneak out of my humble resident and slope down town expecting to meet people in celebration. Am surprised. I meet seemingly scared poor looking citizens. Are they just ignorant or they have little trust or no trust at all on things around?

I sit at Genesis restaurant to load a simple meal of dried fish and imported sweet potatoes and posho. Things are looking different, even boda boda men say they hate the day. I hope people are happy. For me it's surely a wasted day out of office. Moroto is not fine today, I hope other parts of Karamoja and Uganda are fine.

In neighbour Kenya the ICC speaks again. Two key people are charged with orchestrating murder, rape, forcible transfer and persecution in the polls' aftermath in 2007/8 as ASP reports.

What I say: If there was hope that this Hague court could quicken their legal queries of the two Kenyan presidential hopefuls, then Uhuru Kenyatta and Francis Muthaura would have displayed their sincerity in front of Kenyans.

How? That they can be willing to quit a public office in case there is a problem that needs to be sorted out first. It could be something the two men would be able to refer Kenyan electorates to as they solicit for votes next year. So their willingness to step down could be a disguised blessing. Any way, it’s just what I think.

Back to Moroto, at about 4:00PM the boredom is worsening. I take a ride upwards...this is my pleasure, the advantage I harvest for living at the foot of Mt. Moroto. I make it up to Lia Primary School on my Chinese mountain climber machine.

For those who treasure adventure when you come to Moroto, I suggest you visit this school. Lia Primary school has very many latrines, let me say WASH (Water Sanitation and Hygiene) equipments put up by NGOs. But one thing is crystal clear; the latrines are very clean, -so clean you can bite a goat’s rib inside. Why? I hope they are engaged. But down to the river side there are lots of “human droppings”, the stench makes you sick...

7:00pm am back to my humble cottage. I take a shower and start chewing the cards. I chew what my eyes ate during the day and I swallow it on this mini Lapi of mine.

On the internet, news is ripe –coming from Kampala: Rwandan president Paul Kagame and Equatorial Guinea Teodoro Obiang Nguema have been decorated with the Pearl of Africa medal. The function took place on top of Mt. Elgon in Kapchorwa district. The medal is the highest honour reserved for the heads of state.

President Museveni is recognising the two leaders for their “I hear” contribution to the 1981-1986 NRM/NRA liberation struggle of Uganda. Kagame also received Kagera medal. I hope the two African leaders are appreciative of the current political and economic situation in our country... I don’t know why am not making a clear point. May be because am not expert in the political history of Uganda since 1986.